Roll20 will partner with the DMs Guild to bring fan-made content online

Roll20, the industry-leading virtual tabletop suite, is partnering with the Dungeon Masters Guild, the officially licensed storefront for fan-made Dungeons & Dragons content. On Monday, Roll20, the industry-leading virtual tabletop suite, announced that a new treasure trove will be available for Dungeon Masters and players alike.

Roll20 allows you to play online tabletop roleplaying games. You can connect to a session by simply clicking on a link from your computer or mobile device. Players can also use built-in videoconferencing tools to communicate with each other face-to-face. DMs have the ability to plan complex scenarios using maps, markers and simulated lighting. You can even create digital character sheets to allow you virtual dice roll and other functions. Since its launch in 2012, the platform has become the most popular online gaming resource. It was funded through a Kickstarter campaign. The platform was further boosted by the COVID-19 epidemic in 2020. This added more than 5 million users.

The Dungeon Masters Guild (DMs Guild), on the other hand, is a partnership between D&D publisher Wizards of the Coast and OneBookShelf, owners of a number of online storefronts including DriveThruRPG. Launched in 2016, the DMs Guild allows fans to sell their own D&D content — including monsters, adventures, and even entire campaigns — using a subset of the core D&D rules available through the Open-Gaming License. It enables would-be designers to build on the foundation of the world’s most popular RPG, and earn money from the sale of those materials.

The partnership between Roll20 and DMs Guild means a larger addressable market for up and coming D&D designers, and a much easier way forward for harried DMs.

“DMsGuild creators will soon be able to create Roll20 content in the form of modules and add-ons that will unlock for users with the purchase of their DMsGuild adventure content, providing additional value for online play,” Roll20 said in its announcement. “Roll20 users will be able to access those maps and handouts available from DMsGuild in the virtual tabletop without additional set-up work.”

Roll20 is now closer to having direct contact with Wizards, and its parent company Hasbro. The Rhode Island-based game and toy manufacturer has been on a bit of an acquisition streak lately, picking up a video game studio as well as D&D’s leading digital toolset, D&D Beyond. Wizards promised in the 4th edition that they would add a virtual tabletop to their game. Player’s HandbookThis article was published in 2008